News Nosh 10.22.17

"What I’m about to write is difficult, and it’s important for me that you read it to the end, even if
you end up losing sleep over it, as I hope it will prompt you to do something."
--In an Op-Ed on Yedioth's front page, the former commander of the Northern Command, Major-General (res.)
Amiram Levin, warns Israelis that the Netanyahu government is dragging the country into war.*
You Must Be
Kidding: “Good morning.”
The Facebook post written in Arabic by a Palestinian worker last week, for which he was arrested by Israel Police because they relied on automatic
translation software, which erroneously translated the post. Facebook translated “good morning” as “attack
them” in Hebrew and “hurt them” in English.**
Front Page:

Knesset returns in a storm - Tomorrow the winter session opens with a number of burning
subjects including: (Jewish) Nation-State law, the new draft law and the bill to prohibit interrogating a
serving prime minister

IDF decided to shorten minimal time to receive rank of first sergeant and lieutenant

Danger in Hula Valley: Fire holes return - endanger hikers

Mazal tov: Bar Refaeli hugs a second daughter

News Summary:
In Israel, almost complete certainty that rockets shot from Syria were intentionally aimed at Israel and, following
Israel’s retaliatory attack, Syria warned of ‘grave consequences,’ 309,530 college students begin their first day
today and a former Shin Bet man, who was involved in Shalit prisoner exchange deal, was appointed the
state’s liaison for captive and missing making top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also, Haaretz’s+ Barak
Ravid reported that despite Israel’s declaration that it wouldn’t negotiate with the Palestinian Authority
following the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, the US said that it saw the Palestinian reconciliation led by Egypt positively and although
the US position is that Hamas must disarm, there is no expectation that this will 'happen overnight.’

Yedioth reported that after weeks of Netanyahu stalling, Israel Police gave Netanyahu an ultimatum: set a date for questioning or the Police will.
Netanyahu will be asked to provide his version to the testimonies collected in various investigations against
him, particularly that of billionaire Arnon Milchan in Case 1000, the gifts case. Also, of interest in the case of misuse of public funds at the Prime Minister’s Residence,
for which Mrs. Sara Netanyahu was a suspect, Yedioth reported that former IDF chief of staff Beni Gantz was on
a list of guests at one of the extravagant meals at the Residence, as were Milchan, Shaul Elovitch, chief
shareholder of Bezeq, and tycoon Yitzhak Tshuva.

*ISRAEL-SYRIA: Originally, Israel thought the four errant rockets that landed
Saturday in the Golan Heights were spillover from the Syrian civil war. But today’s newspapers say that
the IDF now believes they were intentionally aimed at Israel. The IDF retaliated by destroying the cannons believed to have launched them. Syria wrote
the UN demanding the UN rebuke Israel. Only Maariv’s Yasir Ukbi reported that in the letter, Syria accused Israel of “asking
rebels to launch the mortars in order to justify an Israeli retaliatory attack.” Syria warned of ‘grave consequences' to Israeli fire, while Israel warned Syria that continued rocket spillover would be met with a harsher response.
Later that day, Iranian and Syrian Chiefs of Staff signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to
upgrade the cooperation and coordination between their two armies and outlining their fight against
'Zio-American schemes.’ Yedioth ran an Op-Ed on its front page by former Northern Command chief Gen. (res.)
Amiram Levin who accused Netanyahu's government of dragging Israel towards war, saying that
"The suspension of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority in response to the reconciliation
agreement between Hamas and the PA, and the fiery statements against Iran as the Israeli government’s only
reactions, leave no room for doubt: The government has lost its political way and is incapable or unwilling to
seek a diplomatic solution for the conflicts. This is a misfeasance of the basic responsibility
of the government and its leader—to do everything in their power to reduce the chances of war and to make it
their top priority." In an interview with Maariv/103FM this morning, Levin attacked Netanyahu’s policy in the north: "Instead of
conducting a policy that is reasonable and matter-of-fact, we speak in rage. Why heat everything
up and not act quietly in the north?" Indeed, in an interview with Army Radio today, former
defense minister Moshe Ya'alon agreed: "We must continue to operate in Syria without
announcing it, as we did in the past.” Yaalon said he didn’t expect the northern border to be quiet and said
“we must respond in an wise manner.” (Maariv) But some residents of the Golan Heights were unfazed. “If (Syria)
enters into a confrontation with us, it will end badly for them.” (Maariv)

Meanwhile, last night IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot flew to the US to participate in an international
conference of chiefs of staff in which Arab countries will participate Until now, only the coalition
countries which are involved in the war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq have been involved in these meetings. They
included Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. But this time, the event host, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff of the US Army, General Joseph Dunford, changed the format of the meeting to allow the participation of the
Israeli chief of staff. Maariv’s Yossi Melman wrote that “It should be emphasized that Israel has been
conducting frantic diplomatic moves and initiatives in recent weeks with the participation of the
Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and the Head of the National Security Council, who are talking to
leaders in Russia and the United States and their counterparts in both countries due to growing concern over
the possibility that Iran or its proxies will deploy near the border on the Golan Heights. In these meetings,
Israel is trying to enlist support for its positions and presents this demand as a red line that it will not
allow to be crossed. For the time being, it is not clear whether Russia, beyond the understanding of Israel's
positions, is on board, especially when the US is losing its ability to influence Iran.”

Quick Hits:

Former Defense Minister, Courted by Labor Party: There'll Be No Peace, West Bank Can Hold Millions of
More Settlers - 'The illusion of peace has now evaporated,' said Moshe Ya'alon, but so has 'the
illusion of a Greater Land of Israel.’ (Haaretz+)

Still Recovering From Harvey, Texas Hit With 'Hurricane Israel' Over anti-BDS Provision - The
town of Dickinson explained that it was doing so because of a new state law against boycotts of Israel and the
settlements, passed earlier this year. Mayor of Dickinson says residents are angry, upset and confused that
hurricane relief grants included the provision. (Haaretz)

ACLU Slams Houston Suburb for Withholding Hurricane Relief to Anyone Boycotting Israel - The
city of Dickinson requires applicants for grants to repair homes or businesses damaged by Hurricane Harvey to
refrain from boycotting Israel: 'An egregious violation of the First Amendment, reminiscent of McCarthy-era
loyalty oaths.’ (Haaretz)

Author of Texas anti-BDS Bill Calls Aid Incident 'Misunderstanding' - 'I think this is simply
a result of confusion over the implementation of a recently approved law,' said Rep. Phil King. (Haaretz+)

Helping Israel or Causing It Harm? In Wake of Texas anti-BDS Incident, U.S. Jewish Groups Divided Over
Boycott Laws - Some are warning recent incidents are putting Israel on the opposite side of free
speech. (Haaretz+)

MKs Bitan and Moalem propose canceling the Disengagement Law from northern Samaria (West Bank)
- MK David Bitan (Likud and Shuli Muealem (Habayit Hayehudi) hope that the re-establishment of the settlements
of Ganim, Kadim, Homesh and Sa-Nur will be approved by a vote to be held on the subject by the ministerial
committee. Chairman of Habayit Hayehudi party: "There was no justification for the expulsion.” (Maariv and Ynet)

Simcha Goldin: "The government is nurturing Yahya Sinwar, he gets what he wants" - The father
of the soldier (who was killed in Gaza and whose body is being held for a prisoner exchange) referred to
Bloom's appointment as coordinator for the POWs and MIAs and told of their first conversation. "I wish him
luck, I told him, ‘You don’t have even one day of grace.’” (Maariv)

As academic year begins, college lecturers go on strike - Senior lecturers in 17 public
colleges say while they get paid the same as their university counterparts, they work almost double the hours;
they demand equal conditions to those of university lecturers; junior staff at Beit Berl also on strike, over
employment agreement yet to be approved. (Ynet)

Vitriolic protest erupts against Israel at Russian conference - During youth conference in
resort city of Sochi, Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese participants burn Israeli flag, chant 'death to Israel,
death to Jews' while refusing to speak to Israeli delegation; 'When the Arabs saw the Israelis, they simply
left the room. They said it was a war crime to sit with Israelis.' (Yedioth/Ynet)

Dozens of Israeli army veterans of Six-Day War roughed up trying to bring Torah scrolls to Western
Wall - After the Torah scrolls were confiscated, the former paratroopers – all in their seventies –
joined Women of the Wall for a mixed-gender prayer service outside the women’s section of the wall. (Haaretz+)

Israeli Justice Minister Using External Consultant to Dictate State's Positions on Settlements
- Every document on the subject of settlements must pass through lawyer Amir Fisher, a right-wing activist who
is not actually part ofthe State Prosecutor's Office. (Haaretz+)

Ashrawi: Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank amounts to war crimes - Following
announcements that Israel had advanced plans for nearly 3,000 illegal settlement units in the occupied West
Bank, PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi strongly denounced the move as a “blatant disregard for
the two-state solution.” (Maan)

Israeli forces shoot, injure Palestinian teen sailing off Gaza coast - Witnesses told Ma’an
that the 19-year-old, whose identity remained unknown, was sailing off the coast of Beit Lahiya when Israeli
naval forces opened fire on the teen’s boat. (Maan)

**Israel Arrests Palestinian Because Facebook Translated 'Good Morning' to
'Attack Them' - No Arabic-speaking police officer read the post before arresting the man, who works
at a construction site in a West Bank settlement. (Haaretz)

Palestinian arrested after stealing truck to run over IDF soldiers - After receiving reports
of a stolen truck in Holon, police find 39-year-old Palestinian culprit who attempted to flee in car chase
before hitting a vehicle and being arrested; during investigation, the resident of Ramallah confessed he
intended to use the stolen truck to run over IDF soldiers in central Israel. (Ynet, Haaretz and Maan)

12-year-old boy wounded from Hebron rock throwing attack - Palestinian caught on tape throwing
large stone at children in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron; 1 child is lightly injured and rushed to
Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Karem for treatement; Members of the Jewish community in Hebron react angrily to
incident and claim it is the result of Palestinian incitement that happens regularly in the city. (Ynet)

Israeli police detain Palestinian in Old City for alleged knife possession - Israeli media
reported that the youth, whose identity remained unknown, was detained for being in possession of a knife. He
was reportedly transferred for interrogation (Maan)

Largest theft attempt of past several years thwarted, 27 Palestinians arrested - 67
Palestinians illegally residing in Israel stopped in largest heist in recent history, including tens of tons of
agricultural produce; 27 adults arrested for questioning, with the remaining 40 minors released home; Border
Patrol confiscates the vehicles used in the theft attempt. (Ynet)

Infant shot in leg during attempted hit in (Arab-Israeli town) Qalansawe - Infant, aged 18
months, shot in leg during attempted hit on relative, who was holding him, in Qalansawe; baby was taken to Meir
Hospital while the shooter has not yet been identified; shooting is another in long line of recent Qalansawe
gun crime; 'Not a day goes by without shootings,' says Qalansawe resident. (Ynet)

Israel extends no warm welcome to Ugandan Jews, using technicality to deny visas - Interior
Ministry dragging its feet, citing an unforeseen bureaucratic technicality to in effect reject their
conversions to Judaism. (Haaretz)

Leader of American-Israeli Group Vows 'To Be More Careful' After Posting anti-Semitic Soros
Image - Adam Milstein, chairman of the board of the Israeli American Council, tweeted an image of
Soros atop a multi-tentacled creature strangling the globe. (Haaretz)

New regulations require ministers to attend war memorials - After Netanyahu pledges to rectify
'regrettable mistake' of failing to send government representative to attend Yom Kippur War memorial ceremony,
new regulations put in place to ensure same mistake never repeated. (Yedioth/Ynet)

100,000 Kurds have fled Kirkuk since Iraqi takeover - In the aftermath of Iraq's seizure of
Kirkuk, much of the exodus is taking shelter in cities deeper inside Kurdish territory. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Netanyahu lobbies world powers to stem Iraqi Kurd setbacks - In an effort to prevent Iraqi
Kurds’ lands from being overrun by Iraqi forces, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lobbies world leaders to
support Kurdistan's bid for independence. (Agencies, Ynet)

Defying U.S., Israeli Demands on Palestinian Reconciliation, Senior Hamas Delegation Arrives in
Iran - Senior Hamas official says unity agreement will not impact Hamas' military wing. With ties
restored, a senior Hamas delegation led by its second-in-command Saleh al-Arouri arrives at the Iranian capital
of Tehran for diplomatic discussions following years of estrangement between Hamas and Iran. (Ynet and Haaretz)

Features:Haredi protest leader: 'We scorn Israel'
After the fifth consecutive day of protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews against army enlistment, Rabbi David Zucker—one
of the organizers of the demonstrations—attempts to explain rationale behind their anger; 'We scorn Israel in the
strongest possible manner.' (Ynet reporters)Gideon Levy & Alex Levac The West Bank terror you never hear about
Mohammed Jarara, a Palestinian policeman, is the victim of a hostile act, a casualty of terror perpetrated by three
Israelis armed with stones. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)‘Healing Ink’: Tattoo artists cover terror victims’ scars
As part of a surprising collaboration between the Israel Museum and Artists4Israel organization, people injured in
war, military service and terror attacks team up with international tattoo artists, who decorate their bodies as a
way to help them recover from their physical and mental scars. (Gil Korotki, Yedioth/Ynet)

Commentary/Analysis:Zionism Doesn’t Need 'Divine Promise' to Justify Jewish Nation-state (Shaul Arieli, Haaretz+) By relying on faith-based arguments devoid of any diplomatic or legal validity,
Israeli politicians are undermining the solid foundations of the Zionist narrative, which have been accepted
by the international community for a century.Fatah-Hamas reconciliation: Both a challenge and an opportunity (Ami Ayalon, Gilead Sher and Orni
Petruschka, Yedioth/Ynet) The Cairo agreement presents a challenge not only to the Palestinian
leadership and society, but also Israeli society and government, the Egyptian-led Arab world and the entire
international community. This opportunity should be seized by anyone interested in a permanent agreement
between Israel and the Palestinians.Netanyahu's government is dragging us to war (Major-General (res.) Amiram Levin, Yedioth/Ynet) The
prime minister is giving in to the radicals in his government and focusing on public relations instead of
statesmanship. Anywhere else, this could end peacefully, but in Israel it could result in an unnecessary war. The
inexperience in matters of security, the lack of diplomatic discretion and the absence of a political balance,
alongside arrogance and a disregard of our enemies, are a recipe for disaster.Balfour Declaration's Legacy Is Toxic for Both Israelis and Palestinians (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz) One short letter looms large in the Israel-Palestine conflict's mythology. But
it's just that: A myth, but also a bluff, a betrayal and a gift to propagandists on both sides.Many on the left wondered this week what a Zionist like Avi Gabbay was doing in the Zionist Camp
faction (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) Some of the party's leaders were shocked: Maybe a few Likudniks will be persuaded
to vote for him, but leftists will vote Meretz, the only party that insists on its right to transfer
Jews.Israel's Labor Leader Is the True Face of the Right (Daniel Blatman, Haaretz+) The moment Avi Gabbay declared that his party will effectively boycott 20
percent of Israeli's citizens, he lost the legitimacy to present himself as the Labor Party's leader.If this is the Left’s leader, why not just vote for the Right? (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) Centrist politicians have been trying to lure right-wing voters for years,
but Avi Gabbay’s recent comments crossed a certain line. Somehow, the Labor leader’s shift to the right seems
kind of sincere and a bit too resolved.A pardon for all of us (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) Just like God sent Noah a spirit of reconciliation after the great flood, so
must the president pardon Hebron shooter Elor Azaria, who did not receive a fair trial.Conceptiyahu (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) Netanyahu is unique in personifying three types that coexist at the Prime
Minister's Residence in one person: the millionebbish, the narcissist addict and the Conceptiyahu.Playing with fire (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom)
As the Syrian civil war wanes, regional actors are outlining their interests in the Middle East. Syria
and Hezbollah are looking to recover, Russia seeks hegemony and Iran wants to tighten its regional grip. It is up
to Israel to draw clear red lines.Privatizing the Prosecution (Haaretz Editorial) The person drafting Israel's response to High Court petitions on
settlements is a right-wing activist and outside consultant hired by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.Israel needs to make it clear that the landlord here can go crazy sometimes (Lior Ackerman,
Maariv) Perhaps a harsher and more severe response than expected from Syria on the
northern border will create a shock on the other side and convey a more decisive message that will increase
Israeli deterrence.Israel has no intention of quitting UNESCO, so why threaten? (Sever Plocker, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel has never withdrawn from an international organization, regardless of
its resolutions. It didn’t pull out or even consider pulling out of the UN following the shameful resolution
comparing Zionism to racism. Talking about an Israeli withdrawal is thus foolish, and we only stand to lose
from such a move.In Israel, Persecuting the Messenger (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Next week two initiatives will be launched in the Knesset aimed
at silencing opponents of the occupation.Unsettled under the Trump administration (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) Several "quality" settlement housing construction plans were approved this
week, but the numbers are a far cry from the thousands of homes that were expected to go up under a new,
friendly U.S. administration. Now some say little has changed since Obama.#AnaKaman (#MeToo) (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The next global social media campaign should bring the stories of Palestinian
women who live (or were killed) under the Israeli occupation.BDS can actually be sued for damages (Benjamin Leventhal, Ynet) While Israeli courts have yet to render judgment in cases based on the boycott act,
Israeli-based businesses, academics and cultural figures suffering damages from boycotts against Israel can
sue the BDS Movement under civil law.Mind-blowing EU chutzpah (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom)
The EU has graduated from passive diplomatic and financial assistance to the Palestinians to subversive illegal
construction. The intent is to erode Israeli control of Area C and east Jerusalem while promoting Palestinian
territorial continuity.Rabin, Ze’evi, What’s the Difference (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) The Israeli right's attempt to equate the lives, and deaths, of Yitzhak Rabin
and Rehavam Ze'evi are part of a broader effort to lend legitimacy to unacceptable extremist ideologies.The self-destruction mechanism of terror (Isaac Ben-Israel, Yedioth/Ynet) Less than four years after its official establishment, ISIS seems to be
approaching its end. How did it happen? Once terror crosses a certain line, it sets in motion a
self-destruction mechanism and undermines its own goal. The organization’s intimidation efforts were so
successful, that the entire world teamed up to destroy it.The Israeli Peace Camp’s Algorithms (Gadi Taub, Haaretz+) The assumption that Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement seek the end of what we
call the ‘occupation’ may well be baseless.An Israeli in Egypt: Fear and lotioning in Sinai (Shir Reuven, Haaretz+) After crossing the desolate border between Egypt and Israel, I met a tall
Egyptian in a fine suit with five different kinds of hash.

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.